Wheel for casters, &amp;c.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. NEUBERTH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR-TO HENRY ILL, OFSAME PLACE.

WHEEL FOR cAs ERs, 84c.

SPECIFICATIONiforming part of Letters Patent No. 631,580, dated August22, 1899.

Application filed April 19, 1899. Serial No. 713,546. (No model.)

reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of hollowsheet-metal wheels or rollers which may be put to various uses, but aremore especially adapted for use as casters for furniture and the like;and my present invention has reference more particularly to that classof hollow wheels or rollers which are made in separate sections orhalves, stamped or struck up from sheet metal, and then operativelysecured together by pressu re in suitable dies or machinery.

The principal object of this inventionis to rigidly secure together bypressure two roller or wheel sections to produce a complete wheel orroller without the use of solder or the necessity of lathework, as hasheretofore been the custom.

A further obj ect of my present invention is to provide a novelconstruction of caster or other wheel or roller, comprising a pair ofsections to be secured together by means of pres sure, and to provideasimply-constructed and strong roller or wheel, whereby it can be made inless time than heretofore and, in consequence, at a greatly-reduced costof manufacture.

The invention therefore consists .in the novel constructionof roller orwheel for the purposes hereinabove set forth; and, furthermore, theinvention consists in suchnovel arrangements and combinations of parts,all of which Will be hereinafter fully described and finally embodiedhinthe clauses of the claim which form a part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich plete wheel or roller in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figures 1 and 2 are a side and end View, respectively, of a wheel orroller made accord ing to the principles of my invention. Fig. 3 is avertical cross -section of the wheel or roller, illustrating theinterlocked arrangement of the shells or sections comprising the mainbody of the wheel or roller; and Fig. 4 is an end representation of saidshells or sections, a disk or plate, and a tubular spindle in theirrelative positions when the several parts are to be assembled and closedupon each other in dies to form a complete wheel or roller. Fig. 5 is aplan view of a blank of sheet metal from which the shells or sectionsrepresented in said Fig. 4 are formed, and Fig. 6 is a perspective Viewof one of the said shells or sections.

Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the saidabove-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In said drawings, A indicates the complete wheel or roller, and a and a.are two sheetmetal sections or shells, each forming one-half of thewheel or roller and which are to be secured together by pressure,substantially as hereinafter set forth, to produce theco1n- Each shellor section a. and a is stamped up from sheet-s'of metal, as indicated-inFig. 5, in the form of a circular disk or plate a with a centralperforation or hole a and radially-extending ears or lugs a, whichproject from the circumferential edge of the disk, substantially asshown. I prefer to provide each disk or plate with three of such ears orlugs a but of course it will be evident that I may .use but two ears orlugs on each .disk, or more than three of such lugs or cars may beemployed, ifdesired. The disk a is then forced into the cup or dishshape indicated in Figs. 3, 4:, and 6, preferably by means of suitabledies, to form the two sections or shells at and a, each shell beingpreferably. formed with the annular and ornamental depressions a, whichalso serve to strengthen the sides of said shells or sections, as willbe clearly evident. The radially-arranged ears or lugs a hereinabovementioned, are also slightly curved, as at a. (See Figs. 4 and 6.) Theexternal faces of each disk at and a are slightly curved, as at (t and aas clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and el.

In Fig. 3 I have shown one arrangement of tubular spindle b, the samebeing preferably provided with annular enlargements or beads 11 and 11substantially as shown, and c indicates a circular disk or plate ofsheet metal, having a central perforation for arranging said disk orplate upon said tubular spindle 1), between said enlargements Z1 and N,before the said enlargements are formed on said spindle. The diameter ofsaid disk or plate 0 is just so much less than the inner maximumdiameter of said shells or sections a and a, (indicated in Fig. 4,) andbefore said shells are closed down, as indicated in Fig. 3, equal to atrifle more than the thickness of said lugs or cars (L to permit theentrance of said lugs or ears in the annular space between thecircumferential edge of the disk or plate 0 and the inner and curvedsurfaces a of the said sections a and a.

.To firmly secure the several parts together in order to form a wheel orroller A, the several parts are assembled on the tubular spindle b inthe manner indicated in said Fig. 4, the disk 0 having been previouslyarranged upon said spindle between the enlargements b and L Thecup-shaped sections or shells to and a are then slipped over therespective ends of the tubular spindle, with the slightly and inwardlybent or curved ears or lugs a of the sections a and a arranged to extendin opposite directions over the circumferential edge of the disk 0,substantially as illustrated in said Fig. l. Vhen these several partshave thus been assembled, they are placed between suitable diesandpressed together, whereby the lugs or cars a on the respective shells orsections a and a are forced in opposite directions directly over andbeyond the circumferential edge of the disk 0 and against the taperinginner surfaces a of said shells a and a. At the same time, owing to theconstruction of the dies, which are provided with depressions into whichthe cup-shaped shells or sections a and a are placed during the processof manufacture, will, owing to the fact that the diameters of saiddepressions in the dies are less than the maximum diameters of saidshells or sections a and a, cause said external faces of the sections orshells to be forced toward the center of the wheel or roller, or, inother words, the diameters of said shells will become reduced until theinner surfaces of the said sections or shells will bear firmly upon thecircumferential edge of the disk 0, which will act as a central web tothe wheel or roller to greatly strengthen the same. During thisoperation the pressure upon said shells will have forced the lugs orears (0 of the respective shells or sections a and a tightly downagainst the opposite flat faces of the disk 0 at right angles thereto,or approximately so, and as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. This will serveto firmly retain the two shells or disks in position against each other,while the ears or lugs now arranged against the opposite sides of thedisk 0 will fully prevent the separation or pulling apart of the twoshells or sections a and a no matter how great a weight the roller orwheel thus formed will have to support. During the operation of closingdown the two shells or sections a and a, so that their circumferentialedges will bear against each other, the inner surfaces a of the sides ofsaid shells are tightly brought against the annular enlargements orbeads I) and b of the spindle Z), whereby the collapse of the ends orfaces of said shells or sections during the pressure between the dies isfully prevented. At the same time the projecting ends of the spindle Z)are upset to form the beads N, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and3, and a strong and serviceable wheel or roller is the result.

The roller or wheel is preferably made with the tubular spindle Z); butof course it will be understood that the two sections or'shells a and acan be tightly secured to the supporting disk or plate 0 without theemployment of said spindle b, and a strong and serviceable roller orwheel can thus be made without such use of the spindle. It will thus beobvious that I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements andcombinations of the several parts herein described and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, for they may be varied without departing fromthe scope of my present invention. Hence I do not limit my invention tothe arrangements and combinations of the several parts, nor do I confinemyself to the exact details of the construction of the parts as hereindescribed and illustrated in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A wheel orroller composed of a pair of metal shells or sections, holding lugs orcars on the annular edges of said shells or sections, a separate holdingdevice, arranged between said shells or sections, with which said lugsor ears are in locked or holding engagement, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

2. A wheel or roller composed of a pair of metal shells or sections,holding ears or lugs on the annular edges of said shells or sections,and a circular disk or plate between said shells or sections, with thecircumferential edge of which said ears or lugs are in locked or holdingengagement, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A wheel or roller consisting, essentially, of a tubular spindle, apair of metal shells or sections, a separate holding device on saidspindle, and holdingears or lugs on the annular edges of said shells inlocked or holding engagement with the said holding device, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

4. A wheel or roller consisting, essentially, of a tubular spindle, apair of metal shells or sections, a circular disk on said spindle, andholding ears or lugs on the annular edges of said shells in locked orholding engagement with the circumferential edge of said disk,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A wheel or roller consisting, essentially, of a tubular spindle b,having annular beads or projections b and b, a pair of shells orsections arranged on said spindle and bearing against said beads orprojections, aclampin g or holding means on the annular edges of saidshells or sections, and a separate holding device on said spindle, withwhich said clamping or holding means is in locked or holding engagement,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A Wheel or roller consisting, essentially, of a tubular spindle I),having annular beads or projections b and 19 a pair of shells orsections arranged on said spindle and bearing against said beads orprojections, holding lugs or ears on the annular edges of said shells orspindle, with the circumferential edge ofv which said lugs or ears arein locked or holding engagement, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 17th day of April, 1899.

GEORGE E. NEUBERTH. Witnesses:

FREDK. G. FRAENTZEL, HENRY ILL.

